Johnson Wins 300th (And Other Late-Broken News)

So the first game concluded, the Nats lost 5-1, and Randy Johnson won his 300th game. In about 30 minutes, I'll post some highlights from Johnson's post-game presser. He was fantastic -- reflective, insightful, funny. Definitely a cool moment. (I'll post more once I make my next deadline for the in-print edition.)

Here are the Game 2 lineups. (Oh, and look, it's already in the top of the 2nd. Nats ahead, 1-0. Rain is getting heavier.)

On the way home I was thinking about Manny's decision to use Hanrahan in the ninth inning with the game still in reach for the Nats. His great failing as a manager is that he rigidly assigns roles to his bullpen that some guys just can't handle. Since Hanrahan has been anointed as closer he has blown 7-of-21 save opportunities and has a 66-percent conversion rate. But because he has the profile of a closer because of his fastball, Manny won't change. He would rather have his house burn down than call the fire department to save it. Hanrahan doesn;t have the mindset or fortitude to be a reliable closer, but he has a guy in MacDougal who has a track record with 50 saves in 68 chances who couldn't do worse than Hand-It-To-Them Hanrahan. Manny doesn't have the talent to be so inflexible about the way he uses his relievers. Go with the hot hands and if you lose Hanrahan on waivers, it's no big deal.

I guess I agree with Boswell ... I was thinking they were doing it right with the farms, I guess I was wrong. They really do appear to have been extremely cheap, perhaps much cheaper than Abe, when it comes to the free agent market. That just isn't going to work in a major market like DC, which truly is bigger than Atlanta. I don't think they should go hog wild for older FA's past 35. At the same time I am certain there are guys out there like Peavy they should have seriously considered. Now perhaps it is too late, the damage has been done.